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Disciples Home Missions

NEWS: 4/4/2012 -- DHM Has a New Web Design!

Chalice50.gif  DHM is Disciples Hands-on Missions

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About DHM

Disciples Home Missions is committed to equipping disciples for Christ and connecting people to the life changing love of God.

Disciples Home Missions the enabling and coordinating division of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the area of congregational program and mission in North America.

The third millennium is an exciting time to be the Church. DHM staff are responsive to the ongoing needs of congregations while keeping an eye on the future to help Disciples congregations remain relevant in an everchanging world.

DHM's priorities

  • Leader development
  • Congregational transformation
  • Faith formation
  • Christian vocations
  • Pro-reconciliation/Anti-racism

DHM's history

Before the Disciples' restructure in the late 1960s to early 1970s, those with mission concerns had organized themselves into particular societies, including the Foreign Christian Missionary Society, the American Christian Missionary Society, and the Christian Woman's Board of Mission. Over the years, these bodies had' evolved beyond voluntary associations of people to become organizations with paid staff. In 1920, these three bodies, FCMS, ACMS, and CWBM, became the United Christian Missionary Society. So, our history comes from early connections of people who gathered themselves together, pooled their resources, found ways to raise money in order to create mission-both in North American and around the world.

At the time of the Disciples restructure, the United Christian Missionary Society was divided into Disciples Home Missions for work at home and the Division of Overseas Ministries for work abroad.

-(Adapted from The President's Report to Disciples Home Missions Board of Directors, November 20, 1999)

DHM's ministries and programs

In addition to the programs listed below, DHM staff provide many other services to congregations, regions and the general church, including technical assistance and referral, print and electronic resources, consultations, workshops, events, and constituency networks. Disciples-both clergy and laity-are encouraged to contact DHM staff by phone or peruse the Web site for a complete list of services and contact information.

DHM programming: something for everyone

Programs and support resources loosely fall under these categories: 

  • Leader development: programs for youth and young adults, African American ministries, support for clergy and laity in the church, scholarships;
  • Faith formation: Congregational Christian education, spiritual growth, congregational transformation and planning, and programs aimed at strengthening congregational life;
  • Missions: Refugee and immigration ministries, mission projects, disaster recovery, Disciples Volunteering;
  • Justice: Racial and environmental justice, Rapid Response, legislative issues;
  • Networks: families and children, youth, young adults, women, and men.

Mission Centers

These mission centers are popular destinations for individual and group work trips. They provide a broad range of social services and spiritual resources to support and transform their local communities, bringing hope and hospitality, healing and peace, justice and compassion.

Learn more about the Mission Centers >

Sponsored Organizations

Organizations Relating to DHM

General Ministries

All General Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) work and sometimes partner with Disciples Home Missions at various points to provide program and support for ministry.